October 25, 2012

Did You Know. . .

that Jesse James, who was an American outlaw (that lived between 1847 and 1882) refused to rob a McKinney, Texas bank? It was because his
favorite chili parlor was located there!

that supposedly the last words of Kit Carson (who was a frontiersman in the 1800s) were "wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili".

that probably the most famous chili came from Chasen's Restaurant in Hollywood, California? The owner of the restaurant was Dave Chasen (1899 - 1973) who was an ex-vaudeville performer and never shared the secret of his recipe. Many famous people loved this chili such as Jack Benny, Eleanor Roosevelt (wife of President, Franklin D. Roosevelt) and Elizabeth Taylor. In fact, when Elizabeth Taylor was filming "Cleopatra" in Rome, she had Chasen's Restaurant send her 10 quarts. Reportedly, the cost was $200 to have it shipped! Clark Gable was another admirer of Chasen's famous chili. He was sent some while in the hospital and allegedly it was his last meal the night he died. The restaurant closed in April 2000 so I guess we'll never know the recipe!